No Pictures, It Did Happen: Al-Qaida Admits Osama's Dead

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No Pictures, It Did Happen: Al-Qaida Admits Osama's Dead

No need to release any gruesome snuff photos to prove it. Al-Qaida itself conceded on Friday that the United States killed its founder and leader. And beyond that big, big confirmation, the terrorist group evidently doesn't have much else to say about the massive questions it faces about its future.

In its first online statement since the Sunday raid, al-Qaida venerates the life of "the mujahid sheikh Osama bin Laden" and pledges to "continue on the path of jihad" in his absence. But it doesn't make any specific threats of retaliation, beyond vowing generically to wipe the smile off America's face and turn its "happiness" to "sorrow." That's as far as it goes for the terrorist group displaying continued relevance.

And that's not the only thing the statement neglects. There's nothing in here about the crucial question of succession. While the acknowledgement of bin Laden's death clears the deck for a leadership change, the statement is attributable only to the "general leadership" of al-Qaida. That raises the intriguing prospect that al-Qaida hasn't actually figured out who replaces bin Laden, despite having over a decade to prepare, and having a cellular structure that replaces lower-level operatives. Somewhere in the White House, counterterrorism aide John Brennan, who's predicted internal chaos within a post-bin Laden al-Qaida, is smiling.

The biggest irony of the statement is that both the U.S. and al-Qaida suspect Pakistan sold them out. Al-Qaida hectors the "handful of traitors and thieves who have sold everything to the enemies of the nation," and begs its remaining allies in Pakistan to "rise up to wash [away] this shame."

The statement is likely to cause some cognitive dissonance among al-Qaida's online wannabes. Earlier this week, they cycled through different stages of coping with the bin Laden hit – denial, anger and in some cases, acceptance. Some online jihadis bought the news from the get-go and went straight from acceptance to vengeance for bin Laden's death. "Let his enemies be miserable," said one commenter, according to a SITE Intelligence Group translation. "For by Allah, we will take our revenge." One forum administrator labeled the news "a barefaced lie," banning any discussion of bin Laden's death until official word came from al-Qaida's leadership.

Al-Qaida preferred to aim this message to the outside world. But the fact that the statement doesn't acknowledge the massive intelligence breach al-Qaida just suffered reads a bit like whistling past the graveyard. The U.S. recovered dozens of thumb drives, computers, phone numbers and paper notebooks from bin Laden's Abbotabad compound, which may have contributed to new U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen. The statement doesn't give any indication that al-Qaida is afraid of a reinvigorated U.S. manhunt – which, in fairness, is pretty standard for a declaration of defiance.

The statement is dated May 3, indicating al-Qaida didn't long harbor any doubt that bin Laden actually died – proving there are some conspiracy theories that even al-Qaida won't go for. Apparently, the group will soon release a final, posthumous tape from bin Laden, and that will be the last time the world hears his voice.